Hurricane season is almost here, actually, by the time you read this it will have started. Are you prepared? This isn’t just an RVing post, because I hope you aren’t actually RVing when a storm lands. This a hurricane preparedness post. With the weather being as unpredictable as it was this year, you are better safe than sorry. It’s really a not a question “if” the Texas coastline will be battered by a hurricane, but “when”. Are you really willing to test fate and be ill prepared? I doubt it, especially the closer you live to the coast.

One item you simply can’t be without is a generator. Keeping power going is important. Loss of power can last for days depending on the extent of total damage around your area. Keeping the lights on, or the refrigerator running is one thing, but what about charging your phone, or recharging batteries for flashlights. It’s the little things that are often overlooked during time of crisis and those are just a couple of things.

So, when you are prepping for this year’s hurricane season, you’ll remember the water and the food, but don’t forget the generator. Getting a trusty and reliable Yamaha generator from PPL Motorhomes in Houston, or New Braunfels is a pretty wise decision. Even better, now you’ll have an amazing new generator when you can get out on the road for a little R&R time in your RV…post hurricane of course.

If you know me at all, you know that I am intensely patriotic. I simply love my country and those who serve to protect it, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m writing another Memorial Day post. In fact, you can expect one next year and the year after that. I think I align myself with days such as Memorial Day because I really just don’t think that one day is enough. The way I view days such as Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day is that the celebration of those who protect our values and freedoms, and often sacrifice themselves in the line of duty, shouldn’t just be relegated to just one day…it should be EVERY day! They don’t get a break, they don’t get a choice. They have signed up to do a job and they’ll do that job to the best of their ability for as long as they can. The thing is, if you ask any Veteran, or active military service member, they probably tell you that they appreciate the acknowledgement, but will never demand that you put their service on a pedestal. They’ll tell you that is their job.

I would respectfully disagree with that. I think we should put them on a pedestal. Who else among us brave enough to willingly put themselves in harm’s way for the love of country? It takes someone special. It takes someone who deserves to be held in societies highest regard. What many people fail to realize is that without a strong military we are putting our country in harm’s way. The fact of the matter is that, given the opportunity, there are a slew of people on this planet that wouldn’t think twice to bring war and conflict to our soil. It’s already happened. What stops them from continuing to assault not just our people and lands, but our sensibilities and freedoms? A strong military. Not chitchat, not idle talk, but action. Strong and definitive action. Who among us is brave enough to stand in the path of attack? Them men and women of our Armed Forces. If they have to bring war, they’ll bring it. If they have to spring into defense, they’ll spring. And for that, they deserve our gratitude everyday…not just on Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day.

This is just how I feel. It’s me being honest, if you feel different about it than I do, well, that’s OK. That’s your right as an American. Just don’t forget who protects those rights.

Did you know that this week is American Hero week. This is the time to thank our police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, soldiers and more for all they do to protect all of us. Especially in light of some recent event’s such as tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma, as well as the fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX that actually claimed the lives of many first responders.

This subject is especially close to my heart because my son-in-law is a police officer. I can’t help but say a little silent prayer for him every time he leaves for work. My last words to him are always..Be Safe! It isn’t just him that he needs to be safe for, but also for all of us. His family. I don’t know what we’d do if anything ever happened to him. It’s too tough to even thing about. Knowing the danger, he still risks life and limb on a daily basis to keep others safe and protected.

One thing that really gets my dander up is how often the news media sensationalizes the “bad” things done by American heroes and fails to thank them for the day to day dedication they display. What are those “bad” things anyway? You’d be hard pressed to find the proverbial rotten apple that spoils the bunch. None of these heroes started their careers planning to make a million. They chose their professions because they wanted to help others, because they wanted to make a difference each day.

All I ask is that when you are traveling in your RV around Texas, or any other part of the country, and you see either a soldier, fireman or policeman just tell them, “Thank You”. Most people have no clue about the sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis. That’s not even talking about the sacrifices their family members also make. A simple, “Thank You” is enough to make any professional service man or woman feel good. I know I thank every one of them I run into. You’ll be amazed at how it makes you feel too!

Recently, Granbury, TX, in the Northern part of the state, was hit with an unexpected tornado that cause severe damage and loss of life. In fact, it was more than just one tornado which ended up being a tragedy of epic proportions for that small town. Much of the damage was to homes and subdivisions. In particular, mobile homes were hit especially hard. Eye witnesses describe the wreckage as if “someone scooped all of the trailers and balled them up together”.

Homes of this type (homes of most types really) are especially susceptible to extreme damage, or total destruction when caught in the path of a tornado. The same holds true for your RV. We are all smart enough to know that being in an RV is no place to ride out a tornado producing thunderstorms. However, sometimes I don’t think we know we are in eminent danger until we are face to face with it.

Finding shelter is imperative! If your home is no match for a strong tornado, then it’s obvious that your RV won’t stand a chance. Be smart. Seek shelter, there’s no other way to say it. You have to find a strong structure, move to an inner space and hunker down.

Also, if you haven’t already ad you have a iPhone, or comparable smartphone, find and download The American Red Cross’ Tornado App. It will alert you of impending tornadoes, or thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and tornadic activity…even if your phone is set to silent. I highly recommend it. I’ve already added it to my phone.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know how much I love to fly the Red, White and Blue! One of the very first things I do when we pull into our campsite, or RV park is raise “Old Glory” and love it when I see other RVers doing the same! Well, if you even half as patriotic as I am, and love flying your colors, you are going to love the flagpole buddy kit!

For as much as we like raising our flag on our RV, it can sometimes be kind of a difficult task. Well, with The Flag Pole Buddy, raising your flags has never been simpler. No more climbing the ladder again. The angled holder of The Flag Pole Buddy allows you to easily and securely insert your flag pole from the ground. I can’t tell you how many RVers absolutely love being able to do this!

This really is an ingenious device. It makes it so much easier and safer to raise your flag and with Memorial Day coming up, you are certainly going to want to take a look at picking up your own Flag Pole Buddy at PPL Motorhomes.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner it reminded me of the old “MOTHER” acronym, you remember the one:

“M” is for the million things she gave me,

“O” means obstacles she overcame with me,

“T” is for the tears she shed for me,

“H” is for her heart of gold;

“E” is for her everlasting spirit,

“R” is for remembers me at all times and occasions.

Put them all together, they spell

“MOTHER,”

a word that means the world to me.’

Then I began to think, as I often do, about those who serve this country and how Mother’s Day takes on a VERY special meaning for them during their deployment, as it does for the mother’s of our warriors as well. I wondered…as a Mother, how does it feel to have a son, or daughter constantly in harm’s way? What does it feel like to watch your child willingly go off to war and fight for their country? I can imagine it is equal parts Pride and Fear. At some point, as mothers, we have to loosen up our grasp on our children regardless of how much we may not want to. Although our children grow and start families of their own, we never really let them go. We may loosen the grasp, but we never truly release it. I can certainly see how supporting your child as they volunteer to go off to war can give a whole new meaning to Mother’s Day..almost redefine it. For most children, both young and old, Mother’s Day may mean little more than calling mom, or making her breakfast in bed, or simply doing something out of the norm. However, Mother’s Day for a military family can be one of the most important days of the year for both mother and child. It’s the time to say, “Thank you. Mom. Thank you for bringing me up to love my country and love my family.” For as much as fathers are looked up to, mother’s share equally in the molding of their children’s ideals, personalities and allegiances. They are as responsible for instilling love of family, God, liberty and country as much as the fathers in this Nation.

What about being a Mother IN the military? We must not forget the thousands of mothers who are on active duty right now, away from their family…away from their husbands and children. What does Mother’s Day mean to them? Imagine willingly leaving your family behind to follow a call to duty. That is something that most of us could never fathom. As a mother, I certainly can’t truly imagine what it would feel like to board a plane, knowing that there is a chance that my family may never see me again. Being away from your children for a few days can be painful enough, but for a better part of a year? That is an unbelievable sacrifice for country. Remember that this Mother’s Day there are thousands of mothers in the services who are eagerly waiting to hear from their family and are counting the days until the get to hold their children again.

So, for the thousands, upon thousands of Mothers either in service, have a child in service, PPL Motorhomes thanks you. I thank you. We should all thank you for showing the true strength of mothers here in the United States of America. We will never forget, or understate your sacrifice and wish all of you a truly Happy Mother’s Day!

Now, do I really need to tell you about the importance of having properly working warning alarms in your RV? I shouldn’t have to, but as RV Nana, you know I’m going to.

This is serious business and items that are often overlooked. When was the last time you tested or replaced your Carbon Monoxide or Gas alarms. If you don’t keep them in proper working order, than what is the sense of having them? You are only taking an unnecessary and very dangerous risk. Carbon Monoxide is odorless and can asphyxiate you and anyone else sharing the relatively small space of your RV very quickly. Especially while you are sleeping. You are virtually guaranteed not to detect the presence of carbon monoxide in your RV at that point. This can lead to certain tragedy.

One thing that you may not know is that the sensors in the detectors deteriorate after about 5 years and may not be as accurate as they should be. This is a very important thing to note, as you may own an RV that’s older than 5 years and haven’t even considered replacing your LP or CO detector.

If you are scratching your head and thinking, “Do I even have a CO detector?” Then you probably don’t and should start researching, purchase and Install one before your next RV trip. Now while the certainty that your will be exposed to gas, or carbon monoxide is fairly low, why would you want to take the chance? I know I certainly wouldn’t. Further, you are also, more than likely, putting other at risk as well.

There are some really great detectors on the market and, as luck would have it, PPL Motorhomes carries a good selection of them. You can actually get combination detectors designed to detect propane and carbon monoxide. If it’s been over 5 years since you’ve replace your LP and CO detectors then I highly recommend that you put one one your RV-To-Do-List. You never know when this simple device may actually save your live.

I know this is a little bit of a departure from writing blogs about consignment RVs and RV parts and accessories, but I received an email recently that got me thinking. Would I know the signs of a stroke if someone I was camping with was having one? I know what I’ve heard, but at that moment I realized that I didn’t know all of the signs.

The fact is that the symptoms of a stroke can be variable. Meaning, they aren’t universally the same in every instance. You may have a variety of symptoms, or you may only have one. The biggest thing to remember is that time is essential. Check out the video below for a few things to look for when it comes to recognizing symptoms of a stroke.

There are a number of different ways to identify when a person is having a stroke. It doesn’t have to be that they just have a headache, or that they lose coordination, it could be a number of things. Remember this acronym: S. T. R.

If he, or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

The one symptom that I just found out and didn’t really know about was the tongue test. Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. That was something that I wasn’t aware of.

So, as you are traveling from park to park this year, always be prepared to recognize and react when it comes to emergency care. Lot’s of times I don’t think we really think about our health while on vacation. You never can tell when something as serious a stroke may occur. It doesn’t matter if you are at home, work or out RVing, a mini, or major stroke can happen without much warning.

Just another friendly reminder and lesson from RV Nana and PPL Motorhomes.

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I have been with PPL Motor Homes since 1980 and have been fortunate enough to grow up with the company. A native Houstonian, I have been blessed with years of wonderful experiences and memories of RVing with family and friends. With 3 children, 8 grandchildren and a ton of friends who I refer to as my adopted family, I was a Nana long before I became RV Nana. I was blessed to have shared this lifestyle with my late husband, a Cajun from Lafayette, and his spirit will live on in all of us as we continue down the road of life.
My life with PPL has given me so many wonderful chapters, from sharing my RV experiences as RV Nana to working with the Texas Campground Owners Association and holding the position of President of the Texas RV Association from 2011-2013, so it’s easy to see that the RV lifestyle is my style. Watch for me on the road …I’m the one with the RV Nana license plates on my car and RV, and share your RV experiences with me. See you soon!